Virtus.professional shall be absent from ESL Professional League Season 22 after being turned away on the Swedish border, and their hopes of attending the StarLadder Budapest Main could now be in danger.
In a press release posted by Virtus.professional, they mentioned that “border management raised issues relating to the medical insurance coverage of three gamers. Notably, the identical insurance coverage insurance policies had beforehand been accepted with out concern in different Schengen international locations”
They later mentioned that regardless of finding out the difficulty relating to the medical insurance coverage, it was already too late, and that visas had already been revoked. The group is now in touch with a “native legal professional specializing in migration legislation” however that the method is anticipated to take “a while.”
Virtus.рro will miss ESL Professional League in Stockholm.
Sadly, our staff shall be unable to take part within the upcoming ESL Professional League in CS2, set to happen in Stockholm within the coming days.
Upon getting into Sweden, border management raised issues relating to the medical insurance coverage… pic.twitter.com/o0NsmkQwuZ
— Virtus.professional (@virtuspro) September 27, 2025
Virtus.professional had been set to enter ESL Professional League Season 22 in Stage 1 of the competitors, the place they’d have North American staff M80 of their opening sport.
This offered a stable alternative for them to get extra sport follow with Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy’s system as their new IGL, and to additional mattress of their new signing Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov after his promotion for his or her academy staff, they are going to now be with out an occasion to play in till after the StarLadder Budapest Main invite reduce off date on October 6.
VP May Miss Main?
Nonetheless, as a consequence of their incapability to play in ESL Professional League, Virtus.Professional’s qualification to mentioned Main is now additionally unsure. Former NAVI and Gambit coach kane mentioned “I’ll drop an fascinating inside: Virtus.professional most definitely received’t make it to the Main.”
😑 No VirtusPro at Main? Kane is aware of one thing we don’t. pic.twitter.com/xpVCy7ZSJl
— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) September 27, 2025
It’s presently unclear as as to if this may even be as a consequence of a travel-related concern because it has been with ESL Professional League, however VRS wizard MischiefCS2 is already reporting that the lack of VRS factors could also be catastrophic.
On account of lacking out on the match in Stockholm, Sweden, VP will fall to 18th within the European standings, two ranks beneath the required sixteenth place to qualify for Budapest.
Properly, the EU main race simply received thrilling.
Up to date EU 🇪🇺 Main VRS predictions after the EPL modifications.
This has handed a lifeline to contending groups, its gonna be a really fascinating subsequent 10 days. pic.twitter.com/U7YHBWRgkO
— Finn (@MischiefCS2) September 27, 2025
ENCE to Exchange Virtus.Professional
ESL has given ENCE the chance to switch Virtus.professional on the match, as a consequence of them being the subsequent eligible staff for qualification.
As per their guidelines: “Any withdrawal occurring lower than two weeks previous to the occasion’s begin date will outcome within the invitation being granted to the highest-ranked staff on the Valve Regional Standings from the host area of the occasion. Solely groups with legitimate visas for the area or nation the place the match is being held shall be thought-about.”
Because of this, ENCE have needed to pull out of the Birch Cup, to get replaced by Crew Liquid.
We’re by means of to Birch Cup Playoffs. Goodluck ENCE at EPL👊
See you tomorrow.
— Crew Liquid CS (@TeamLiquidCS) September 27, 2025
Extra Visa Points
Virtus.professional aren’t the one staff dealing with visa points forward of ESL Professional League – Chinese language staff Lynn Imaginative and prescient additionally needed to drop out as a consequence of their incapability to subject an entire roster throughout the occasion.
They’re to get replaced by Spanish staff Light Mates, who needed to forfeit matches on the ongoing Birch Cup 2025 so as to journey to Stockholm for the occasion.
These forfeitures, and the dearth of VRS factors obtainable in Stage 1 of ESL Professional League, implies that Light Mates may even now most definitely miss out on the Main, though their possibilities of qualification had been already slim.
